Even our land of bounty, hunger a continuing problem

Foreign visitors are often amazed when visiting America's heartland, both by the sheer size of the landscape, and by the vast cornfields and amber waves of grain.

Foreigners and domestic visitors alike, however, might be surprised that much of that bounty doesn't make it to those who need it.

According to the Food Bank for the Heartland, which serves Southwest Nebraska as part of its 93-county service area in Nebraska and western Iowa, approximately 211,590 people, or nearly 12 percent of the population, don't always know where they will find their next meal.

According to new research released today by Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, the figure includes 83,960 children under 18 who are food insecure.

"Food insecurity is one of the leading public health challenges in the United States," said Dr. Craig Gunderson, professor of agricultural and consumer economics at the University of Illinois, an international food insecurity expert and the lead researcher of the "Map the Meal Gap" study.

"We undertook this research to demonstrate the extent and prevalence of food insecurity at both the county and congressional-district level.

"This data has the potential to redefine the way service providers and policy makers address food insecurity in the communities they serve," he said.

How bad is the problem?

According to the study, of Red Willow County's 11,039 people, 10.8 percent or 1,200 people are "food insecure." According to the survey, they have income lacking an average of $13.49 a week, or $2.51 a meal, to be able to purchase adequate food.

The food insecurity rate for other counties in Southwest Nebraska includes 11.3 percent in Hitchcock, 9.9 percent in Frontier, 10.9 percent in Hayes, 10.1 percent in Dundy, 9.3 percent in Chase and 11.5 percent in Furnas counties.

Food Bank officials, who list the McCook Pantry among the food banks they serve, are frustrated in that the situation hasn't improved, despite their best efforts.

Last year's "Map the Meal Gap" study found about the same number of food insecure people in the 93-county area, 11.8 percent or 208,200 people. The local trend is similar to what is being seen at the national level, according to the research, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture reporting more than 50 million people food insecure.

"Our community is committed to ensuring our neighbors have healthy and accessible food," said Susan Ogborn, president and CEO at Food Bank for the Heartland. "This continues to be a challenge even while the economy seems to be improving. The devastation to peoples lives that has happened over the last three to four years may take a generation to repair," she said.

Southwest Nebraska has responded to the challenge over the long haul, but continuing support of the McCook Pantry, as well as more recent efforts like the weekly community supper at Memorial United Methodist Church and the community garden in northwest McCook.

But the survey confirms what many of us may know already: Hunger is a continuing problem even in a land of bounty.

Check out the survey at http://bit.ly/11wyYhZ